


Ten Minutes

by Notyoursterotypicalnerd



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alfred Pennyworth - Freeform, Batman - Freeform, Bruce Wayne - Freeform, Friendship, Joker - Freeform, M/M, arthur fleck - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:06:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27650411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notyoursterotypicalnerd/pseuds/Notyoursterotypicalnerd
Summary: They were two boys on opposite sides of the track. One was a poor abused little boy in Gotham while the other was the son of one of the wealthy’s families in Gotham. Bruce saw Arthur as he friend, Arthur felt safe around Bruce. The two are pulled apart and are pulled in different directions in life.
Relationships: Friends - Relationship, enemies - Relationship
Kudos: 1





	Ten Minutes

**Author's Note:**

> Side note: this was supposed to go down a whole other route, but it stopped at this path.
> 
> MAY CONTAIN JOKER (MOVIE) SPOILERS!
> 
> *As much as I’m familiar with Joker (the character), I may have smudged a few of his details.

He was trying to hold back his tears; he was trying to keep his screams silent as his mother screamed at him. He wanted to love his mother; she was his only family. She had her moments of being a caring mother and she had her moments of being the worst mother on earth.

He ran as fast as his legs would let him. He just wanted to be like other boys his age, but he wasn’t. Growing up in an abusive household, having his father walk out and having his mother in and out of hospital. He was the skinniest little boy anyone knew.

No one cared to save him. He had learnt that he could only be saved by his mother on her good days.

He sat behind a tree at the park. Tears running down his cheeks, he pulled his legs up to his chest and lowered his head, placing his hands over his face.

A boy dressed in his finest clothes stopped in front of the crying child “Are you okay?”

“Y..Y…yes” He stuttered.

The finely dressed child sat in front of the crying boy “I’m Bruce.”

The crying boy looked up at Bruce. Bruce was different to him; Bruce looked like he didn’t belong in this part of town.

“Arthur” He mumbled.

Bruce smiled a little.

“MASTER WAYNE! MASTER WAYNE!”

Bruce sighed.

“Master Wayne, what have I said about running of?” Spoke an older gentleman as he approached the children.

“Always stay with you” Bruce mocked the words he had grown accustomed with “Alfred, meet my friend Arthur” Bruce smiled.

Alfred took one look at Arthur; Alfred quickly thought less of Arthur “Come on, Bruce. Your parents are going to worry about you.”

Bruce reluctantly rose to his feet “Bye Arthur.”

“Bye Bruce” Arthur smiled a little as he watched Alfred reprimand Bruce while they walked over to a car. Arthur liked how the boy called him, friend. Arthur didn’t have any friends except the ones in his head.

# # #

Several days later

Arthur stood at the gates of Wayne Manor. He couldn’t believe his eyes; the property didn’t look run down like the apartment he lived in with his mother.

The Wayne Manor estate looked well cared for. No rubbish filling the front, no dead trees, or busted windows. Not even a speck of graffiti.

“Arthur” Bruce ran to the gate as he saw his new found friend.

“Bruce! Wow! You live here?”

Bruce nodded as the two boys stepped closer to the shut gate.

In Arthur’s mind, it felt like an eternity of sitting at the gates talking to Bruce Wayne but in reality, it had been only ten minutes. The two boys had surprisingly bonded even though they both came from different sides of the tracks.

# # #

Every afternoon Arthur would wait at the Wayne Manor gates to say hi to Bruce. Sometimes Alfred would tell Arthur to scram, sometimes Bruce wasn’t home; at least that was what Arthur had been told. Arthur would always wait until it started to get dark before making his way back home.

The rare afternoons, the two boys would sit and talk. Arthur felt like a whole other person.

# # #

IT was all over the media. Thomas and Martha Wayne had been murdered in front of their son.

The day after the news had broken, Arthur ran to the Wayne Manor to see his friend. Alfred was waiting for him at the gates.

“Arthur, Master Wayne will no longer be seeing you. I suggest that you no longer come to the Manor.” Alfred coldly said.

Arthur was taken back. He had never done anything to Alfred, yet he instantly looked down on Arthur. Arthur didn’t know what to say as he watched Alfred walk back to the house.

“BRUCE!” Arthur screamed out “BRUCE!” Arthur gripped the bars of the gate “BRUCE!” he repeated.

Arthur wasn’t sure how long he had been waiting at the gates or how long he had been calling out to his friend, but no one acknowledged him. Arthur’s voice was hoarse, and he was exhausted. The only friend he had was now gone.

# # #

Years later

Arthur hadn’t been in touch with his childhood friend since before the death of the Wayne parents.

Arthur was working as a clown for hire. He hated his job, he still lived at home with his mother’s; her behavior towards him had shifted. She no longer maimed him instead he was her carer.

He stopped in front of a shop window, watching the tv displays show footage of Bruce Wayne unveiling a new building.

Arthur wondered if his friend ever thought about Arthur. Cause Arthur thought about Bruce a lot.

# # #

Arthur felt free; He had finally reached his true self. The painted on red smile as those in Gotham saw him as some sort of savior.

All it took was the killing of some so-called saints of wealthy rich boys on the train and shooting his idol live on t.v.

# # #

Joker had been a well-known figure in Gotham for some time now. He knew how to blend into the crowds when he wanted to, but he also knew how to stand out when he wanted to.

Arthur looked at the shadow on the brick wall. “So, you’re the one that calls himself; Batman.” Arthur turned around to see a man in a black leathered body suit with a batman symbol across the chest standing under the flickering street light “Are you going to hand me in?” Arthur reached out his hands.

“Yes.”

“A man of few words” Joker carefully inspected the man “Gotham doesn’t like you. They don’t need you.”

Batman stepped closer to the Joker “They don’t need a clown either.”

“Oomph. My heart” Joker placed right hand over his heart before laughing “Than why do they worship? My face plastered over everything. I’m their god.”

Batman needed to prove himself. He hand caught basic petty thief criminals, if he could capture Joker than maybe the Gotham City Police Department wouldn’t seen Batman as the enemy. Batman punched Joker in the face.

Joker stumbles backwards, Joker holds is face as he tastes his own blood “Your just like them. You want to be seen as the savior but your nothing….”

Batman grabbed Joker by the shirt.

“You think bringing me in, will make you look better?”

Batman carefully looked at Joker. Joker’s hands were bloody, blood dripping down the front of Joker’s outfit. Batman recognized those eyes, the eyes of a scared little kid.

It wouldn’t be. The boy that bonded with Bruce Wayne couldn’t be the Joker. Batman was starting to become conflicted. He wanted the Joker to suffer but Batman just wanted to be with Arthur.

# # #

Batman pushed Joker into the police station. Batman shoved Joker into a holding cell as the Gotham City Police Department stared in shock.

# # #

Many were terrifered to go near Joker. They usually left him alone in his room unless they had to bring him food.

The nurse knocked on the hospital room door “You have a visitor.”

Bruce watched as the nurse opened the door. He saw Joker sitting cross legged on his bed.

Scraps of paper covered the walls and floor of the room.

“Thank you” Bruce said to the nurse.

“You have ten minutes” She didn’t care that he was Bruce Wayne.

Bruce stepped into the room and closed the door behind him “Arthur?”

Joker looked up at Bruce “His gone” He sounded empty.

Bruce took one step closer “Do you know who I am?”

“Everyone knows who the boy BILLIONAIRE is” He spat.

Bruce tried not to react “You remind me of a kid I knew. His name was Arthur.”

Joker quickly went back to the paper scattered on his bed. He scribbled down his thoughts.

Bruce picked up a piece of paper from the floor, he tried to read the handwritten scribble.

He was my only friend. He wasn’t in my head. Not like the others. He was real. He called me his friend. The first one to see me as something other than filth.

Bruce looked up at Joker. He hadn’t noticed Joker had stood up from his bed. The two males stared at each other.

“Arthur?” Bruce asked.

“Why did you stop being my friend?” Joker asked.

Bruce looked at the paper in his hands than looked back up at Joker “I had no choice.”

“You had no choice?” Joker whispered, “ You had no choice?” He spoke louder before lunging towards Bruce “You have no choice?” Joker’s hands were around Bruce’s neck.

Bruce pushed Joker off him. Joker stumbled backwards.

“Your him” Joker’s eyes widened.

“I’m Bruce Wayne.”

Joker shook his head “No.”

“Arthur, I’m Bruce Wayne.”

Joker shook his head. He stood silent for a moment.

“What made you like this?” Bruce asked.

“You. Everything. Everyone.” Joker spoke as his thoughts distracted him.

Bruce sighed as he heard a knock on the door. Ten minutes had flew fast “Can I visit you again?”

Joker titled his head as the door opened. The nurse stood in the doorway. “Yes” He turned his attention to Bruce.

“Tomorrow, same time?”

Joker titled his head again “Yes.”

Bruce turned his back to walk out of the room.

“Batman” Joker laughed.

Bruce paused for a moment.

“Batman” Joker kept laughing.

Bruce took a glance at the Joker as the Joker smiled wide.

“Batman.”

The nurse slammed the door shut.

“BATMAN!”

Bruce heard as he walked down the hall with the nurse.

“B….A…T…M…A…N” Joker’s laughter faintly filled the corridor.


End file.
